1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sliding mechanisms and, particularly, to a portable electronic device with two or more housings configured with a sliding mechanism such that one housing is allowed to slide with respect to another housing in a longitudinal direction.
2. Description of related art
Portable electronic devices have been increasingly widely used with a multiplicity of functions. A mobile phone is exemplified as a portable electronic device that provides wireless communication services to its subscriber while wirelessly communicating with its base station. Rapid development in the field of information and telecommunication business has made it possible for mobile users to use a variety of functions and types of mobile phones available on the market. These mobile phones are generally classified into three or more types of handsets, such as, e.g., a bar-type handset, a flip-type handset with a flip cover, and a foldable handset with a folding mechanism adapted to be opened and closed about a main body at a given angle.
The sliding type of mobile handset has recently become more widely used. The sliding-type design typically includes two housings in which one housing is slidably opened or closed with respect to the other housing. However, these sliding type mobile handsets do not yet offer a variety of different designs, and for this reason, its users may feel some inconvenience in that they have to manually slide one housing with respect to the other housing in order to open or close it.
Thus, there is room for improvement within the art.